What the hell happened to Dusty Payne? From his ankle injury in 2012, followed by a torn MCL a year later, it appeared as if Dusty’s face evaded the limelight for a few years. But it’s not his absence that has everyone interested. It’s how he managed to make such a radical come back – notably during the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing last year (which was ultimately the deciding factor in requalifying for the 2015 WCT). Was it the injury that somehow facilitated a new and improved Dusty? Or was it Kelly that got him on some rare, Amazonian root that has magical healing properties and only harvestable two days out of the year? If anyone finds out, we would love to know. We’d bottle it, sell it and become wealthier than the Rockefellers.
As Peter Labrador’s Vibes and Stuff elucidates, Dusty Payne is back and he is looking sharp as hell. It goes without saying that if he’s surfing anything like this in his heats, we can certainly expect to see him hoisted and carried to the winner’s podium a few times this year. Oh, and if you were wondering, that noble little tune in the beginning is Vibes and Stuff by A Tribe Called Quest.
